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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27177991">the jock and the cheerleader</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealmagenta/pseuds/tealmagenta'>tealmagenta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:29:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,455</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27177991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealmagenta/pseuds/tealmagenta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>the jock, Ricky Bowen, is head over heels in love with the cheerleader, Nini Roberts</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ricky Bowen &amp; Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the jock and the cheerleader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ricky was walking to his locker when he saw the most beautiful girl opening her own locker while talking to a friend. A goofy smile lit up his face and he headed in her direction, leaning on the locker next to her. “Morning, Nini,” He greeted her as she turned to face him, a cheeky smile on her face. “Morning, Bowen.” Nini Roberts, a cheerleader and junior like he was. She had long, brown hair and a cute nose, a bright personality and was kind to those around her. “Here’s your oat milk latte with less sugar and a cream cheese bagel,” Ricky handed her the paper bag he was carrying and he saw a glint in her eyes as she took it. “Thank you Ricky, that’s really sweet of you,” Nini opened the bag to take a whiff of the delicious, warm food, “I’m surprised you remembered.” It was hard for him to not remember, he’d spent the entire summer learning her order whenever she dropped by the coffee shop he worked at, “Of course I remember, it’s easy to remember when she’s a pretty girl like you.” Ricky fixed his gaze on her and took all of her beauty in, “You’re really really pretty, Nins.” She just smiled and shook her head, closed her locker and walked away. He ran a few steps to catch up with her, “Will you go on a date with me, Nini?” The girl scoffed and straight-up said </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But, he wouldn’t take no for an answer, “Sit with me during lunch, please?” Nini rolled her eyes, the smile on her face growing bigger, “You’re relentless, Bowen.” Ricky took that as a yes, and replied a </span>
  <em>
    <span>see you later </span>
  </em>
  <span>before running off to meet his friends. Nini’s cheerleader friends joined her as soon as he ran off, teasing her about the paper bag. “When are you ever going to say yes to that boy, Nini?” Ally asked as she took a sip out of her friend’s oat milk latte. “Ally, give that back, it’s mine… And, I don’t know, what if he’s just doing this because his friends dared him to or-” Nini answered, but was cut off by Gina, “We can all tell he really likes you, girly. He’s been pining after you since spring last year.” Nini just shrugged, she couldn’t be sure just yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bell rang for lunch period and Ricky ducked through the hallways, rushing to the classroom three doors down from his as soon as he could. He leaned against the wall opposite the door, watching and waiting for a certain brunette girl to come out. She was talking to some guy, who immediately noticed Ricky’s presence, as she walked out and the boy said a hurried bye to her, telling her that </span>
  <em>
    <span>her boyfriend was waiting for her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> His curly hair was hard to miss, her eyes catching his as soon as the boy left, a smirk on her lips.  “Hey you, how were your classes this morning?” Ricky greeted her as she led them to the cafeteria, letting Nini talk as he listened to her talk about how her day had gone so far. They stood in the lunch line with the rest of the students, and he was paying such close attention to her that he even held up the line; the person behind them motioning for them to move forward to close the gap. The waiting didn’t feel long at all, both occupied by each other’s company. Soon enough, it was almost their turn to choose their lunch. “Ooh, today, they got chicken pasta and quesadillas,” Ricky, the taller one between the two, managed to catch a glimpse of the menu; Nini, hearing the options, let a small whine, not knowing which one to choose. “Should I get the quesadilla? I love the quesadillas but I just had quesadillas for dinner yesterday and I don’t know if I wanna eat them again. And, the pasta looks pretty good too, but freakin’ cheese in quesadillas. Hmm, I can’t decideeeee…” Nini watched as the students walked away with their trays of food, sighing as she got a whiff of the lunch. Both options looked amazing and she just couldn’t choose. Her heart started racing as they got closer and closer to the counter, her lips jutting out further in a pout. Ricky watched as she battled herself internally, still unable to decide between the two. “What are you gonna get, Ricky?” Nini asked, her eyes wide as she looked at him curiously. He chuckled at the sight of her, and shrugged, “Why don’t we get one each and share? That way, you get both the pasta and quesadillas and I get to see you happy.” Nini nodded, swayed side to side giggly, visibly excited for their lunch. Ricky didn’t miss the way her cheeks blushed a light tint, and he smirked, knowing that he had an effect on her. The boy followed the smaller girl as she hurried to their usual table where the footballers and cheerleaders sat together, settling in the seat next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nini opened her textbook for her class after lunch as the teacher instructed them to turn to page 45, the book opening to a random page due to a yellow note stuck on page 10. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If you were a vegetable, you’d be a cutecumber. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The handwriting was really atrocious, as many had commented before, but it was a font she’d grown to learn to read. After all, he had written her name on her coffee cup and an occasional pick-up line every now and then for the entire summer. She whipped out her phone to text Ricky a quick reply to his note. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cucumbers are fruits, dumbass.</span>
  </em>
  <span> This was usually how it went, he’d write her a pick-up line and she’d make an equally witty comeback. One time, he thought he’d outsmarted her when he left a post-it on her coffee cup that read, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know your name is Nini but I would've thought it was Google because you’re everything I’m looking for</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But, she’d slipped him back a scribble on her napkin saying, </span>
  <em>
    <span>My name is actually Nina, Richard.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Her friends would roll their eyes at her, asking her why she entertained him if she wasn’t planning on getting together with him; at that point, he had already been pursuing her for five months. Nini just brushed them off, just because she hadn’t said yes didn’t mean no. She just wasn’t ready, and she wanted to see if he would wait for her to be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ricky stole glances at the girl across the field; she had her hair up in a ponytail but even from afar, he could tell that her hair was coming loose. He watched as she tied it back up, for it to come loose a few tumbles and jumps later. She was taking a break, sitting on the mats to catch her breath, when he caught her eye. Ricky waved at her, motioning for her to come over and she waved back, standing up to walk over to him. The boy reached into his bag and took a few sparkly hair ties out, getting them ready for her. “Here, Nins, I notice that your hair tie got loose so I wanted to give you these.” Her jaw dropped as she took the hair ties from him, “You still have these? I would’ve thought that you lost them or threw them out.” He shook his head and smiled, watching her use one to tie her hair up in a high ponytail. Sometime last spring, all the hair ties that Nini had owned had all gone missing and she had complained to her teammates that she simply didn’t understand why her hair supplies magically disappeared. Ricky had overheard their conversation and went over to the nearby drugstore to grab her some during his free period. He snuck a few on her wrist, just after lunch and she shot him a look, to which he just smiled back, “I heard you needed some so I went and got you some.” She lifted her wrist to examine the sparkles and a smile crept onto her face, “Aw, these are so cute. Thank you, Ricky.” He also let her know that he had a whole packet more, and to let him know if she needed anymore. Nini never thought that he would have kept them, so she never asked him after that. Six months later, she was genuinely surprised that he still had those and that he actually carried them in his gym bag. “I told you to get more from me if you needed them, didn’t I?” Ricky reminded her. She reiterated her point, telling him she had no idea that he still had them, let alone that he even brought them to school. “You know I’d do anything for you right, Nins?” Her face was flushed and he couldn’t tell if it was because of cheer practice or it was because of the effect he had on her, but he liked to think it was the latter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first football game of the season rolled around the tension could be felt in the hallways as the football team carried the weight of the state champions. Many of his teammates had their girlfriends wear their jersey from last season to school on the day of the first game, something about moral support and extra luck. Ricky didn’t have a girlfriend and to be really honest, he didn’t need extra luck; he was confident in his skills that he trained so hard for during the summer. What he did need, or wanted, was a little moral support. Sure, he got that from his team and the entire student body was cheering them on. But, he yearned for that special someone who cheered louder than anyone for him, a girl who’d wear his name and his number on her back, someone who he could call his. He walked down the hallways to his locker and was lost in his thoughts when someone put their arm around his shoulder, causing him to jump in shock. “So, Bowen, which lucky girl is wearing your jersey today?” Emerson, his team captain asked, “Did you ask Nini?” Ricky shook his head, “Nah, she doesn’t even want to go on a date with me. What makes you think she’ll wear my jersey to school, for the entire student body to see?” Emerson hit his friend’s chest lightly, “Dude, if you never try, you never know.” The curly-haired boy shook his head again, “I just don’t wanna come across as pushy. She doesn’t owe me anything, Em, and I don’t want to put her in a situation where she feels that way.” The football captain nodded in understanding, both of them spotting Nini at her locker. “Go get your girl, Rick.” Ricky just smiled and walked over to the cheerleader, greeting her a good morning. “Good morning to you too, Ricky. Which lucky girl did you ask to wear your jersey today?” Nini teased. Ricky just looked like her like she was the only girl in the world; she had a big, cheeky smile on her face and she looked beautiful, dressed in their school colours — she wore a white dress with roses embroidered on it and black high-tops. “You really think that I would ask anyone other than you?” He questioned her and she simply shrugged, “Then, why didn’t you ask me?” A weak smile ghosted his lips, and he barely managed a mutter under his breath. “Because I knew you weren’t ready to say yes.” Nini heard him and didn’t know how to react; she ended up changing the subject all together, “So, you think you’re ready for the game later?” Ricky was half disappointed and half relieved that they’d move on to another topic, “I think so, we’ve been training all summer for a reason. I hope I don’t let capt or coach down. They said if I do well in this game then I might finally get to start a game sometime this season.” Nini listened as Ricky told her about his feelings toward the game; she was surprised that he was being vulnerable with her, she hadn’t seen a guy so open with his own feelings before. “I’m sure you’ll do great, you’ve trained so hard. And, don’t forget that I’ll be there, cheering with my team,” She wanted to facepalm at her lousy attempt at being a moral support. “If I don’t screw up today, will you go to Em and Ally’s party with me?” Ricky decided to be bold and make a move; if he couldn’t ask her to wear his jersey, he could ask her to the after party, right? “I’ll think about it,” Nini smirked and he frowned at her ambiguous reply. “You won’t screw up, Ricky. I know it,” She assured him, patting his shoulder lightly. He would make sure he didn’t screw up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day of classes passed by in a flurry and soon enough, Ricky himself on the field, warming up with some drills. The sky was dark as the sun had set and the flood lights in the stadium were white and bright. He was stretching in the middle of the field when he looked over and saw Nini in her white cheerleader uniform, the word EAST written across the front in red. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, a large ribbon on her head; needless to say, she looked absolutely gorgeous. She caught his eye and waved her white and red pom pom at him, he waved back and quickly turned his attention back to the team drills. “Nins, seriously, you gotta stop leading him on. Let the poor guy get on with his life,” Ally tugged her back to the cheer team as they huddle for a last minute brief. Nini frowned like she didn’t know what her friend was talking about but Ally saw right through it. “Nini, I love you and all but he really deserves better than this.” They were interrupted by the sports commentator hyping the crowd up and went to take their spots ready to cheer the football team on. “Let’s talk about this later in Em’s basement ok? This conversation is not over,” Ally gave Nini a pointed look before focusing her attention on the student body. The game began and loud cheers erupted in the field. Nini didn’t understand what the heck was going on but she shouted and cheered for the guys, waving her pom poms in the air. Ricky was put in the last two quarters of the game and she watched as he ran across the field, dodging the away team with the ball in his hands. The curly-haired boy had assisted three goals and Nini’s smile mirrored his when the game ended, because they’d won. The field was covered in a sea of red and white as the whole school congratulated the team, their coaches and parents. Ricky spotted the girl standing by the bleachers, he knew she never liked to get swept up in the crowds. He shook a few hands and gave a few hi-fives as he made his way to her and let out a sigh when he finally reached her. “You were great on the field, Bowen, you didn’t screw up,” Nini’s arms were crossed across her chest as she affirmed him. Ricky grinned cheekily, “So, you’re coming with me to Em’s place later?” She bit her lip and smiled, “Only if you shower and bring us to Taco Bell first.” “You got that, Nins,” He took off to the showers, not caring if the team wanted to gather for photos, “I’ll see you at my car.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was needless to say that Ally was shocked when Nini finally appeared at Emerson’s party with Ricky right behind her, “Nini, where have you been? We’ve been calling and texting you in the past hour, what the heck? Were you trying to avoid our conversation because-” Ricky cut Ally off, coming to Nini’s defense, “Ally, we just went to Taco Bell and we brought you guys some jalapeno poppers.” Emerson snatched the bag out of Ricky’s hands and pushed his girlfriend to the basement, “Let’s go play seven minutes in heaven, baby.” Ally let her boyfriend lead her to the rest of the group, gritting her teeth as she whispered to Nini, “We are so going to make you and Ricky do your seven minutes — or ten, or thirty — so you can sort out whatever this is with him, once and for all.” Ally and Emerson wrote all their names on little pieces of paper and shuffled them in a small bowl. Ricky was sipping on some tap water and stood by Nini who was leaning against the wall, watching their friends, “Thanks for coming to the party with me, and for the Taco Bell and for just being you.” She popped the last bit of the jalapeno popper into her mouth as she felt a blush rise up to her face. Even though he was always direct in expressing his feelings toward her, she could never get used to it. Ally noticed their interactions and had enough of it, “Oh look who’s next, Ricky and Nini.” She caught their attention, all right, Ricky calling a fluke but Ally held the little pieces of paper that had their names on them, proving him wrong. They stalked their way to the bathroom, where their seven minutes in heaven began. Nini knew that she had to give Ricky an answer soon but up till when she was walking through the bathroom door, she didn’t know which side she fell on. She bit her lip nervously, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if Ricky asked her to kiss him? What would she do?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He must have noticed her uneasiness and assured her softly, “We don’t have to kiss, Nins. We can just talk, I’m sure seven minutes will be up in no time.” She let out the breath she was unconsciously holding and settled on talking about Ricky’s weekend job at the cafe and Nini having to go to study hall. Sure enough, seven minutes was up while they were in the midst of guessing what would be on the lunch menu the next day. Ally pulled Nini over when the next couple went for their seven minutes in heaven, “So, did you do it?” Nini shook her head and Ally had to stop herself from flicking her friend’s forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The days passed, but Ricky’s affection for Nini never failed to show as he continued to pick up her morning coffees and bagels, sneak her notes in her textbooks and drop his jacket off for her during study hall. One fine Tuesday, he was searching for her in the cafeteria; it’d been 15 minutes into lunch period but the girl was nowhere to be found. Ricky dropped her a quick text asking about her whereabouts and if she needed lunch and she replied simply, </span>
  <em>
    <span>in study hell.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ricky wrapped his sandwiches up in a few napkins, grabbed his bag and left to look for Nini as the rest of the cheer and football team watched on. Her posture was distorted, her shoulders looking tense as she scribbled some stuff vigorously in her notebook. He threw a note he wrote over her shoulder, which said </span>
  <em>
    <span>Do you like Chemistry? Because I've got my ion you!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ricky immediately got her attention when she turned around to check the source of the note — although she already knew that it was him. “Hey study bug, why are you working so hard?” He put the sandwiches on the table next to her and covered her in his jacket for warmth. “I hate chemistry, it’s the worst subject ever,” Nini groaned, leaning her head on the papers lying in front of her. Ricky lay next to her, looking in the eye, “Your chemistry test isn’t till Friday, Nins, you have three more days.” She let out a long sigh, “I don’t know, I just don’t understand how the calculations work…” Nini sat upright in her chair, slapping some sense into herself to try to get her productivity going. But, her resolve crumbled when Ricky pushed the sandwiches toward her, silently telling her to eat. “I’m not hungry,” it was a small whine-mumble thing she did, but he heard her. The boy unwrapped the sandwich and held it up to her mouth, forcing her to take a bite. She relented, letting him feed her as she continued to alternate between throwing her tantrum and trying to get some studying done. When Nini took the last bite of the sandwich, the bell rang, indicating ten minutes to the end of lunch period. She barely got anything done, but at least she managed to eat, thanks to Ricky. “I can’t wait to go home and lie in my bed and not think,” She said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Ricky almost jumped in surprise, it was the first time they were in such close proximity and he hoped that his shoulder was the perfect height for leaning against. “How about I send you home after cheer practice later? Then, you’ll save time on waiting for Ally and Gina or the bus, and get home earlier to study a little or relax in bed.” Nini was about to reject him but he told her he didn’t take no for an answer, so she let him have his way. Reaching home earlier didn’t sound like a bad idea, after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From that day on, Ricky was Nini’s ride. He volunteered to pick her up before school, a coffee and bagel always ready in the back seat for her to fill her stomach on the ride there; he’d send her home after classes or practice. He even made sure to wait for her to finish up study hall or cheer practice on days he was free and on days that she ended school earlier than him, he made sure that she got a ride from one of his or her friends. He never forgot to drop her notes in her textbooks and she found herself looking forward to which pick-up line on the internet had caught his attention. So far, her favourite was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Life without you would be like a broken pencil….pointless</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Nini cheered at every game that Ricky played in, sometimes he’d be part of the starting team and he would wave at her for a little assurance before getting into position. He took care to bring them to Taco Bell after every game, the nights they spent together growing longer and longer. It was no doubt Nini and Ricky enjoyed each other's company. Ricky’s heart would flutter when there were times it seemed Nini was reciprocating him, she hugged him after his first starting game, leaning on his shoulder when she was tired. He felt like it was finally appropriate to ask her to wear his jersey to the homecoming game. He took the shirt out of his gym bag and ran his hands through the white material, imagining how it would fit on Nini. While he was lost in his thoughts, Bradley walked into the locker room and caught him in the act, “Dude, did you finally grow some balls to ask her to homecoming?” Ricky whacked the back of his friend’s head in protest, it was not that he didn’t have the courage from the beginning, it was just not the right time then. “I hope she sees my sincerity and says yes. For all the times I got rejected, it feels like I’ll finally get somewhere this time,” Ricky tossed the white shirt into his bag and slung the back over his shoulder. Bradley put an arm around him, “I bet you $20 that she’ll say yes. Tell me how it goes, yea?” The curly-haired boy rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disapproval.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ricky took Nini to the cafe he worked at during the summer upon her request, clutching his gym bag tightly as he walked through the door. The boy was ordering their drinks when he realised that he had forgotten to bring his wallet along. He hurriedly ransacked through his bag and pulled his small leather wallet out, running back to the cashier so he wouldn’t hold up the line any longer. Nini caught a glimpse of the white fabric and immediately knew what was up his sleeves — homecoming was only a week away and everyone knew what the footballers did. “So, Ricky, have you asked anyone to homecoming yet?” She prodded right after he took his seat, placing their order on the table. He shook his head, a smirk creeping at the corner of his lips, “I was going to ask you, actually. Will you go with me to homecoming?” The girl took a sip of the oat milk latte to buy herself some time, “Well, I don’t mind as long as we get Taco Bell after.” Ricky couldn’t help the smile on his face at her roundabout way of saying yes and felt even more empowered to ask her to wear his jersey. “How about you wear my jersey on the day of the homecoming game too?” Nini bit her lip, leaning her head on her hand, “Then, you’re paying for the Taco Bell. Deal?” They got a deal. When he finally dropped her off in her driveway, he watched as Nini walked to her door, waiting till she headed in before he left. He saw that she turned around midway and rolled down the window to ask her what was wrong. The girl cheekily leaned against the car door, “I can’t wear your jersey unless you pass it to me, Bowen.” The worry washed from Ricky’s face and was replaced with a smirk. He reached over to pull the shirt out of his gym bag and tossed it to her, clapping when she caught it perfectly. “See you tomorrow, Nins.” Nini dropped Ally and Gina a text after she went up to her room, telling them about her and Ricky and to no one’s surprise, Ally immediately dialled a group video call. Nini let out a sigh and took in a deep breath before she answered the call, preparing herself for getting lectured by Ally. True enough, the blonde was exploding with questions as soon as Nini’s face popped up on screen, “When are you finally going to stop leading him on? Are you finally going to get your shit together-”  “Ally, chill. I got this all figured out, okay? The next time he asks me out, I’ll say yes. I promise.” The blonde shrieked in delight, finally getting the answer that she wanted, “It’s about time, Nins. I hope he asks you soon.” Nini knew he would. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day, Ricky dropped Nini off at her locker before he went to his own to get his own books for class and just as he was opening the metal door, he saw two ten dollar notes in front of his face. Ricky swatted the notes away, and turned to face Bradley, “I know you heard she said yes and she did. But, I’m not taking your money.” The other footballer laughed and stuffed the notes into Ricky’s back pocket. “Dude, I bet you twenty dollars that Nini would say yes, I owe you man. Take her out for a date with that money or something.” The brunette girl who was ten lockers away easily heard what Bradley said and immediately froze in her spot. She clenched her jaw and deadpanned into her locker. She’d just admitted to herself that she liked Ricky and assessed that he was genuine in his courting of her; she just resolved that she was going to say yes to him, just to find out that the whole thing was a lie? It really was just a bet since the beginning? Nini slammed her locker shut and stalked away towards the field. She hurried past Ricky to her first class, although it wasn’t going to start in the next fifteen minutes. He just watched as she ran off, wondering where she was rushing to. The rest of the day was a torture for them both, Nini made Gina check her routines during lunch just so she had a valid excuse to skip lunch and she also convinced Ally and Emerson that she wanted to ride home and to school with them. Ricky knew something was wrong when she barely spared him a glance, so he texted her to ask if she was feeling ok, suggesting that he could take her to Taco Bell to make her feel better. His heart sank a little when Emerson had texted him earlier that morning that Nini was riding with him and Ally that day. Ricky took extra care to bring her breakfast that morning, adding a dollar to the order for strawberry cream cheese rather than regular cream cheese in her bagel. Nini simply took the paper bag from him and passed it over to Gina, “I don’t want it, do you?” Gina frowned and took the paper bag from her, “Girl, it’s your favourite bagel from your favourite cafe and your favourite cream cheese spread, what is wrong with-” She didn’t even finish her sentence when Nini pulled her along to the girls’ bathroom to tell her everything that happened. Gina became Nini’s greatest defender for the rest of the week, not giving Ricky a single chance to speak with her best friend. He didn’t deserve it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The homecoming game rolled around, Ricky once again the only guy on the football team who didn’t have any girl wearing his jersey on the day of the homecoming game; his white shirt was still with Nini, they hadn’t talked since she turned cold a week ago, and she hadn’t returned it to him either. He’d tried talking to her, he texted her a few times and tried to talk with her before school and during lunch but she was always well-guarded by a posse of cheerleaders, who constantly glared at him like he committed the worst sin in the world. It was excruciating, the girl that he’d been pining for the last months suddenly turning her back on him, just when things were going smoothly. He actually planned to ask her to be his girlfriend at Taco Bell after homecoming but he knew that it wasn’t going to happen anymore. Ricky was warming up for his game when he stole a glance at Nini, who was at the other end of the field, hyping the crowd up for the game. She was in her white cheerleader uniform, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, a large ribbon on her head. She looked as amazing as always. Ricky wished that he was the reason for the smile on her face, he wished that he could tell her how nervous he was about the game and he wished that she would hug him tight and tell him that he’d do great. Even if he didn’t know what went wrong between them, he still wanted to play well, for himself and for her. It was the only way to tell her that he was fighting for her and she’d made the wrong decision. Once again, cheers erupted and students flooded the field as they congratulated the players. Ricky wore a smile as he shook hands with some, bro-fisted or hi-fived others; but, internally, he was really fighting to celebrate the win. He watched as Nini stood by the bleachers, pulling her hair out of her ponytail and letting it fall onto her shoulders. She was scanning through the crowd as if she was looking for someone and it seemed like she found who she was looking for when her eyes made contact with him, despite the great physical and emotional distance between them. Ricky swore that he saw a tinge of sadness in her eyes before she broke contact and turned away, and he’d tell you he knew she saw that sadness in his eyes too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Homecoming was painful. Ricky was wearing his jersey from last year, his letterman jacket and jeans, East High’s homecoming was always rather casual, and he planted himself at the footballers table as they waited for all of the team and their girlfriends to arrive. He saw that Nini had come with Ally and Emerson, she looked awkward next to the school’s dream couple but Ricky was blown away by her beauty. She was wearing a maroon crop top and a denim skirt, on her feet were her usual black high-tops and her wavy hair was loose — it wasn’t anything special but she looked absolutely amazing. Ricky smiled a little when he saw that she was carrying the single rose that he asked Em to pass to her, on his behalf. She played with the petals as she looked at the decorations in the gym and watched as students danced in the large space. Alone in that big space, Nini looked lonely but Ricky fought the urge to go up to talk to her, knowing he didn’t want to spoil her night. He was definitely looking at her longingly because Ally came up to him, “She was going to say yes, you know?” Ricky turned his attention to the blonde, a frown forming on his face, “Nini was going to yes to me?” “She said that she’d say yes the next time you asked her out, and she was pretty confident that you would have asked her again soon,” Ally deadpanned, her gaze fixed on Nini who was now mingling with her cheer teammates. Ricky chucked bitterly, “I would have asked her to be my girlfriend tonight. But, here we are.” The blonde girl scoffed, “You know, we all thought you were different from the usual footballer or guy in this school. Turns out you’re one of the worst of them, betting on a girl’s feelings for you and making money as you break her heart.” Now, Ricky was really confused, his intentions were pure and weren’t ever motivated by any bets. Sure, the guys liked to dare each other to make moves but Ricky never partook in those. In fact, he was firm in not letting them drag his crush on Nini into their games. Ally saw the look of confusion on his face and realised that he really had no idea what she was talking about. “Um, I think you better go talk to Nini and ask her what went wrong. Maybe you’ll have a chance to ask her to be yours after all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ricky sat on Ally’s advice and finally decided he would get pass her posse,talk to her, and at least find out why she was so cold towards him. However, the beautiful brunette girl was nowhere to be found; he searched high and low in the gym for her. Emerson and Ally were dancing but stopped to approach the lost guy, the blonde girl directing him to the bleachers — she knew that Nini liked to go there to think. The air was cold when Ricky exited the building, heading in the direction of the field; he couldn’t imagine how cold Nini must have been feeling in with her exposed midriff, legs and arms. He picked up his pace and only slowed down when he saw her small body curled up on the bleachers as she stared into the darkness. “Go away, Bowen. Don’t ruin my already ruined night.” Ricky took his place next to her and put his jacket around her, “Talk to me, please. What happened last week?” Nini rolled her eyes, “Can you maybe explain where the fun in placing bets on relationships and breaking girls’ hearts is?” He sighed and gave her a weak smile, “Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question because I don’t see the fun in it either.” The girl scoffed and pulled the jacket tighter around her shoulders, “What a lie, Ricky. Didn’t Bradley dare you to ask me to homecoming last week? I wonder what you did with that twenty dollars you won.” His jaw dropped, he had no idea that she heard that conversation; at least, now he knew why she was so angry with him. “Bradley is dumb, Nins. I’ve told the guys that this isn’t a game that I’m playing but he didn’t give a crap. You are worth more than twenty dollars or whatever they say they’ll give me. All this time, me courting you and wanting you to be my girlfriend, this is all real.” He could hear the little gasp that escaped her throat’ he swallowed nervously and continued “I’ve been giving you those post-it notes because I really like you, Nini. I tell you you’re beautiful because you really are. Not because some dumb jocks dared me to and not because of money. It was never my intention to get caught up in their games,” Ricky explained himself, unable to stop himself from placing his hand atop hers in an attempt to convey his sincerity. “I don’t expect you to forgive me or even understand; just know that you don’t owe me anything and I’m truly sorry.” They sat in silence as she processed her thoughts and what Ricky said. He jumped a little when he felt her head rest on his shoulder, they hadn’t had that type of intimacy in a week, but leaned his cheek into her head, finding comfort for their situation as well. “How do I know that you’re telling the truth?” Nini finally spoke, her voice full of hesitation. “Let me make it up to you — buy you all the lattes and bagels I possibly could buy, write you pick-up lines till there are no more pick-up lines to write, ride you anywhere in the world. Anything. Just let me show you how much you mean to me.” Ricky tucked her hair behind her ear, and could see that she was blushing, despite the darkness of the night. “You better prove yourself, Bowen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After homecoming, it barely took Nini a week before she decided she wanted things back to normal with Ricky. He was consistent in his efforts to show her how much she meant to him and her heart melted in no time. Ricky himself could feel that Nini was warming up to him as well, she clung tight to his arm as they walked to their classes and she seemed reluctant to let him go. He’d even overheard her telling her teammates that “Ricky has been really great lately”, a hand clamped over his mouth to prevent himself from letting out a chuckle when they asked “When has he ever treated you not great, Nins?” It seemed like she was finally ready, so it was time. They were having a long day at study hall, with their midterms coming up; Nini was done with studying for the day and fell asleep while waiting for Ricky to complete and submit his assignment for his photography class. He turned over to see her wrapped up in his letterman jacket and her brown hair was covering her face. “Nins, you down for Taco Bell?” She hummed a yes, her eyes still closed as she sat up, only to lean onto Ricky’ shoulder — which was by the way, the perfect height for her to lean on. “You know, we can only leave once you’re packed right?” He teased her a little and she let him go, shoving the papers and notebooks into her bag. They got a takeout from the drive-through and were sitting in the backseat of his car, munching on their dinner and sharing about their days. Ricky was done with his food and was sipping the last of his soda when he felt like it was time. “Nins, can I ask you for some advice?” The brunette girl next to him nodded and gestured, “Not sure if I’ll be helpful but sure.” Her eyes were wide as she stared at him expectantly and Ricky felt his heart rate picking up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Calm down, Bowen.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “So, I have a friend,” Nini gave him a pointed stare but let him continue, “He has a crush on this girl and he’s been expressing his interest in her for a long time now. He recently screwed up and made her really angry but he said things have been getting better. Do you think it seems like he’s winning her over?” Her cheeky expression mirrored his and she shrugged, “Well, if the girl has been hanging out with him a lot, who knows? She might like him back.” Well, two could play this game. If she was going to flirt with him, he might as well flirt back. The curly-haired boy shifted to sit right next to her, tucking her hair behind her ear and letting his finger trace her jaw. “So, he wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend. How do you think he should go about doing that?” Nini downed the rest of her soda and pretended to give it some thought; meanwhile, Ricky could feel like his heart was about to burst out of his chest because of the suspense. “He could kiss her, then ask her. I’m sure she’ll say yes.” That was all it took. Nini quickly closed the gap between them, meeting Ricky halfway and their lips melded together. She could feel Ricky smiling into the kiss and pulled apart, only to be met with the silly grin on his face. “Nini Roberts, will you be my girlfriend?” She leaned up to kiss his cheek, “I’d be honoured, Ricky Bowen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, the time came for the last game of the season. Nini had worn his jersey on every game day since they’d become a couple; she’d told him that she wanted to make up for the past two times that she didn’t manage to wear it, during the opening game and the homecoming game. Ricky had told her that it was okay but she insisted, so he didn’t fight her on it. After all, he rather welcomed the hottest, most beautiful cheerleader (in his opinion) wearing his last name and number on her back. He couldn’t hold back in his affection to her each time he saw her wear his jersey, the way it hung over her tiny body — whether she paired it lazily with some jeans or tucked it into her skirt — Nini looked amazing and his arms would find their way to her waist, enveloping her in a hug, pulling her body close to his. The day of the last game of the season, their fingers intertwined as they walked to their lockers together. Ricky leaned the lockers next to Nini’s as he waited for her to take out her books for the first half of the day, his hand firm on her waist, stroking her lightly with his thumb. Nini knew that Ricky was staring and looked over to tease him, “Like what you see?” She immediately regretted when her simple question that was meant for fun spurred him to press his body against his as he gave her a back hug and kissed her cheek, “I say this every time but you look unbelievably good in my jersey, babe. I can’t help it.” She put her books back into her locker and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck. Nini giggled as she leaned her forehead against her boyfriend’s, fingers playing with the curls at the back of his head. Ricky pressed a kiss to her, thumbs digging into her waist as she pulled them impossibly closer to each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they pulled away for air, Nini could see that there were people watching them, including their own teammates, and she buried her head into Ricky’s chest shyly. “I love cuddling with you, Nins, but what’s wrong?” She perked her head up to look him in the eyes, letting out a low whisper against his lips, “People are watching us.” The curly-haired boy leaned down to peck her lips softly and hands left her waist to cup her cheeks, “We’re the newest jock and cheerleader couple, of course they’re going to watch.” Nini rolled her eyes; trust Ricky Bowen, of all people, to bask in his jock status. “Our relationship is not just part of their tv series called high school, okay babe? It’s the real thing, so let them say all they want. I say, I love you.” The cheerleader hugged her footballer boyfriend tight, “I love you too.” </span>
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